Ananda's Events – Ananda Leeke

#InternetGeek Tuesday: #InternetGeekat50 Lesson 4 B.L.O.G.

Posted by Ananda Leekeon March 31, 2015April 4, 2015in #BlogforObama, Ananda's Events, Ananda's Speaking Events, Press Publish Conference2 Comments

Happy #InternetGeek Tuesday!

Speaking at Press Publish - Photo Credit: Christine Holsey — Speaking at Press Publish – Photo Credit: Christine Holsey

#InternetGeekat50 Lesson 4 is B.L.O.G. Last weekend, I attended the WordPress Press Publish Portland Conference. I shared my B.L.O.G. mantra and how I began blogging for personal reasons and evolved into a social media leader for the White House during my “Blogging for Obama” session. Here’s what B.L.O.G. stands for:

B – Be yourself in your blogging process

L – Love the stories you tell on your blog.

O – Open yourself to new ideas and opportunities.

G – Give back.

I have included a more detailed description that I used in my session presentation below.

B – Be yourself in your blogging process. Give yourself space to manage the fluctuation of your energy, focus, and passion with digital wellness. I define digital wellness as a gift you give yourself to help manage your time online with mindful self-care practices. Mindful self-care practices encourage you to slow down, become aware of how you spend your time online, and identify and take small steps towards having a healthier digital life. Examples include breathing exercises, journaling, massage, meditation, physical movement (walking, running, yoga, and aerobic classes), rest (naps and a good night’s sleep), setting time boundaries, and using time management tools (HootSuite, TweetDeck, and an editorial calendar) to schedule your blog and social media posts (excerpt from my book Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online.

I started blogging as a result of a writing block in my novel-writing process for Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One in 2005. My book editor urged me to blog to create a daily writing practice. Guess what? He was right. It worked because I wrote for myself. I didn’t think about attracting or pleasing an audience. I just wrote to express my thoughts about my book and its characters.

My blogging helped me connect with a diverse group of bloggers and social media influencers who discussed topics relevant to my novel and its characters. It also created an audience for my book before it was published. When my book was published, I started telling stories about my writing journey, the lessons I learned during the publishing process, background information about the novel’s characters, book readings, and radio and television interviews. These efforts led me to share stories about my life as an artist and yoga teacher. I ended up creating two different blogs and blog space on numerous online communities and social networking sites. That’s when trouble began. Blogger burnout. In 2008, I was overwhelmed by my self-made digital footprint. Following the advice of my life coach, I took a leave of absence from my blog. Stepping away from the blogging process helped me recharge. I also realized that I was in control of how much I blogged and it was okay to take breaks. So when blogger burnout happened again in 2011, I didn’t hesitate in taking a break. That same year, I decided to institute a monthly unplugging practice that turned into the Digital Sisterhood Unplugged Weekend.

L – Love the stories you are telling on your blog. Tap into what you are most passionate about. I tapped into my passion for yoga, creativity, and being an Internet geek as a guide in what I share on my blog. I also maintain three other blogs that reflect my passion for women in social media (Digital Sisterhood Network), digital citizenship, and my DC life and love for all things POTUS, FLOTUS, and the White House. I don’t maintain a regular editorial calendar for these blogs. I post when I feel called to or have a project I am working on that calls for blogging.

O – Open yourself to new ideas and opportunities. I opened myself up to new ideas and opportunities when I started going to blogging conferences and local social media and tech events including Blogging While Brown, BlogHer, Blogalicious, BlissDom, Feminism 2.0, Latinos in Social Media, She’s Geeky DC, Social Justice Camp DC, Social Media Club DC, Social Media Week DC, and DC Digital Capital Week. These experiences helped me establish relationships and build community with a diverse group of people. My connections and interactions exposed me to new ideas and opportunities to express and share my passion for:

Creativity through a book blogging effort that produced my creative memoir, That Which Awakens Me.
Women in social media which inspired a book blogging effort for my technology memoir that gave birth to the Digital Sisterhood Network, Digital Sisterhood Radio, and Digital Sisterhood Month.
Social good initiatives like Macy’s Heart of Haiti Campaign. I became a Macy’s Heart of Haiti Campaign blogger ambassador in 2010 after learning about it during the Blogalicious Conference. A year later, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, Fairwinds Trading, and Macy’s selected me to travel to Haiti. In 2012, I started working as an AARP blogger ambassador on caregiving issues and long-term care planning for women.

My greatest opportunities have occurred as a result of my passion for President Barack Obama. In 2008, I used my digital presence and yoga teaching skills to support his first Presidential campaign. During President Obama’s second campaign in 2012, my father and I volunteered in the Prince George’s County, Maryland campaign office. We also used our blogs and social media platforms to discuss the Obama campaign. After the election, I searched for ways to increase my support and began applying to participate in the White House Social events. Last year, I was selected by the White House to serve as a social media leader for the State of the Union, French Arrival Ceremony for French President Francois Hollande, and the Tumblr Q&A session on education. The U.S. Department of State invited me to serve in a similar capacity during the International Women of Courage Award Ceremony.

French Arrival Ceremony, February 2014 - Photo Credit: Dave McCulloch — French Arrival Ceremony, February 2014 – Photo Credit: Dave McCulloch

International Women of Courage Award Ceremony, February 2014 - Photo Credit: U.S. Department of State — International Women of Courage Award Ceremony, February 2014 – Photo Credit: U.S. Department of State

G – Give back. Use your blogging and social media skills to give back to causes, communities, and organizations you care about. I have used my blogging and social media skills to serve as a technology volunteer for Blogalicious Meetups in 2009-2012, CrisisCampDC and Chilean Earthquake in 2010, Andy Shallal’s DC Mayoral Campaign in 2013-14, and BlogHer’s Veteran Blogger Mentor Program in 2014. I have also given back through the Digital Citizenship Project and Digital Citizenship Month.

Photo Credit: Badge designed by Dariela Cruz

Many thanks to Automattic WordPress developer and designer Michelle Langston for working with me to redesign AnandaLeeke.com. Like many people, I had an older website in addition to my blog. During her session “A Tale of Two Sites: A Case Study,” Michelle discussed how we worked together to combine my two sites into one that would truly express my personality and meet my online goals. I participated by sharing the web content challenges I faced and how I overcame my fears with her support.

TRANSFORMATIVE is the best word to describe my Press Publish experience. I invite you to read my #Storify blogs which feature social media highlights including tweets and photos that I hope will give you an idea as to why the conference was so transformative for me.

Click here to learn more about Press Publish and the upcoming April 18th conference in Phoenix, Arizona. REGISTER NOW so you can have a TRANSFORMATIVE experience too.

My 3/28 WordPress Press Publish Conference Session: Blogging for Obama on March 28

Posted by Ananda Leekeon March 27, 2015March 27, 2015in Ananda's Events, Ananda's Speaking Events, Blogging for Obama, Press PublishLeave a comment

Greetings All,

I’m headed to Press Publish, WordPress’ first-ever conference for bloggers at the Embassy Suites in Portland, Oregon. I’ll be speaking at three sessions on Saturday, March 28:

Blogging for Obama (10:15 am) – I will share my B.L.O.G. mantra and how I began blogging for personal reasons and evolved into a social media leader for the White House.
A Tale of Two Sites: A Case Study (10:45 am) – The session will be led by WordPress developer Michelle Langston, the chief web designer of my new and improved AnandaLeeke.com. Like many people, I had an older website in addition to my blog. Michelle will discuss how we worked together to combine my two sites into one that would truly express my personality and meet my online goals. I will chime in with the challenges I faced in creating the web content for my new site.
From Blog to Book Panel Discussion (4:15 pm) – Andrea Middleton will moderate a panel of bloggers/published authors Mary Laura Philpott, Cecilia Gunther, Jerry Mahoney, Christine Lee, and myself. We’ll talk about how we came to publish books and how blogging influenced our journey to publication.

Photo Credit: http://presspublish.events

If you are unable to attend the conference, you’ll be able to watch the sessions in the Queen Marie and Fireside rooms via livestream (you’ll be able to see my sessions — just remember the time difference between the East and West Coasts). Click here to sign up for a free livestream ticket.

I have included a summary of my Blogging for Obama session below.

Photo Credit: http://thehealthylivinglounge.com

The session will start with a short introduction and a digital wellness exercise. Take a few moments to read my Press Publish Speaker Spotlight bio to learn more about me. The digital wellness exercise will focus on deep breathing. When you breathe intentionally and deeply, you invite yourself into the present moment. The more you breathe intentionally and deeply, the more open you become to PEACE. When you have PEACE, you are free to IMAGINE. Your imagination helps you DREAM. Your dreams help you CREATE and INSPIRE others in your blog and life.

Find a comfortable seated position in your chair. Come to the edge of your chair and place your feet flat on the floor. If you are wearing glasses or shoes, take them off to relax. Create hip width distance in between your legs. Take a deep breath through your nose and exhale it through your mouth. Notice how you feel. Now do it SEVEN more times. As you exhale, release or pause any thoughts or to do lists you carried with you into this moment. To learn more about creating a digital wellness plan, click here for tips.

My Blogging for Obama journey is rooted in my B.L.O.G. mantra.

B – Be yourself in your blogging process. Give yourself space to manage the fluctuation of your energy, focus, and passion with digital wellness. I define digital wellness as a gift you give yourself to help manage your time online with mindful self-care practices. Mindful self-care practices encourage you to slow down, become aware of how you spend your time online, and identify and take small steps towards having a healthier digital life. Examples include breathing exercises, journaling, massage, meditation, physical movement (walking, running, yoga, and aerobic classes), rest (naps and a good night’s sleep), setting time boundaries, and using time management tools (HootSuite, TweetDeck, and an editorial calendar) to schedule your blog and social media posts (excerpt from my book Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online).

I started blogging as a result of a writing block in my novel writing process for Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One in 2005. My book editor urged me to blog to create a daily writing practice. Guess what? He was right. It worked because I wrote for myself. I didn’t think about attracting or pleasing an audience. I just wrote to express my thoughts about my book and its characters.

: Photo Credit: http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com

My blogging helped me connect with a diverse group of bloggers and social media influencers who discussed topics relevant to my novel and its characters. It also created an audience for my book before it was published. When my book was published, I started telling stories about my writing journey, the lessons I learned during the publishing process, background information about the novel’s characters, book readings, and radio and television interviews. These efforts led me to share stories about my life as an artist and yoga teacher. I ended up creating two different blogs and blog space on numerous online communities and social networking sites. That’s when trouble began. Blogger burnout. In 2008, I was overwhelmed by my self-made digital footprint. Following the advice of my life coach, I took a leave of absence from my blog. Stepping away from the blogging process helped me recharge. I also realized that I was in control of how much I blogged and it was okay to take breaks. So when blogger burnout happened again in 2011, I didn’t hesitate in taking a break. That same year, I decided to institute a monthly unplugging practice that turned into the Digital Sisterhood Unplugged (#DSUnplugged) Weekend.

L – Love the stories you are telling on your blog. Tap into what you are most passionate about. I tapped into my passion for yoga, creativity, and being an Internet geek as a guide in what I share on my blog. I also maintain three other blogs that reflect my passion for women in social media (Digital Sisterhood Network), digital citizenship, and my DC life and love for all things POTUS, FLOTUS, and the White House. I don’t maintain a regular editorial calendar for these blogs. I post when I feel called to or have a project I am working on that calls for blogging.

O – Open yourself to new ideas and opportunities. I opened myself up to new ideas and opportunities when I started going to blogging conferences and local social media and tech events including Blogging While Brown, BlogHer, Blogalicious, BlissDom, Feminism 2.0, Latinos in Social Media, She’s Geeky DC, Social Justice Camp DC, Social Media Club DC, Social Media Week DC, and DC Digital Capital Week. These experiences helped me establish relationships and build community with a diverse group of people. My connections and interactions exposed me to new ideas and opportunities to express and share my passion for:

Creativity through a book blogging effort that produced my creative memoir, That Which Awakens Me.
Women in social media which inspired a book blogging effort for my technology memoir that gave birth to the Digital Sisterhood Network, Digital Sisterhood Radio, and Digital Sisterhood Month.
Social good initiatives like Macy’s Heart of Haiti Campaign. I became a Macy’s Heart of Haiti Campaign blogger ambassador in 2010 after learning about it during the Blogalicious Conference. A year later, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, Fairwinds Trading, and Macy’s selected me to travel to Haiti. In 2012, I started working as an AARP blogger ambassador on caregiving issues and long-term care planning for women.

My greatest opportunities have occurred as a result of my passion for President Barack Obama. In 2008, I used my digital presence and yoga teaching skills to support his first Presidential campaign. During President Obama’s second campaign in 2012, my father and I volunteered in the Prince George’s County, Maryland campaign office. We also used our blogs and social media platforms to discuss the Obama campaign. After the election, I searched for ways to increase my support and began applying to participate in the White House Social events. Last year, I was selected by the White House to serve as a social media leader for the State of the Union, French Arrival Ceremony for French President Francois Hollande, and the Tumblr Q&A session on education. The U.S. Department of State invited me to serve in a similar capacity during the International Women of Courage Award Ceremony.

G – Give back. Use your blogging and social media skills to give back to causes, communities, and organizations you care about. I have used my blogging and social media skills to serve as a technology volunteer for Blogalicious Meetups in 2009-2012, CrisisCampDC and Chilean Earthquake in 2010, Andy Shallal’s DC Mayoral Campaign in 2013-14, and BlogHer’s Veteran Blogger Mentor Program in 2014. I have also given back through the Digital Citizenship Project and Digital Citizenship Month.

DC/MD/VA Attend My 6/18 Digital Sisterhood Book Signing

Posted by Ananda Leekeon June 12, 2014in Ananda's EventsLeave a comment

Calling DC/MD/VA Folks!

Join me for my Digital Sisterhood book signing on June 18 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Lettie Gooch, 1517 U Street, NW in Washington, DC. Click here to learn more about my book and to register for the event.

If you are unable to attend, you can purchase the book on Amazon for Kindle or as a paperback. It is a great summer read!

Thank you for the support!

Happy #InternetGeek Tuesday: 7 Social Media Secrets of Nonprofit Digital Storytelling

Posted by Ananda Leekeon June 3, 2014June 3, 2014in Ananda's Events, Ananda's Speaking Events, Internet Geek TuesdayLeave a comment

Happy #InternetGeek Tuesday!

Today’s blog is all about social media and nonprofit digital storytelling.

What is social media?

Social media is a means of communication that builds and enhances relationships online and offline. Social media relies on content. Content includes ideas and information. Social media tools help communicate ideas and share information. Social media allows you to have a conversation with others about ideas and information. The conversations you have through social media create connections. When you cultivate the connections you have established through social media, you build community. The connections you make and communities you build through social media lay the foundation for your audience in digital storytelling.

Did you know there are seven social media secrets of nonprofit digital storytelling?

I recently gave a workshop presentation for my client, Serve DC that introduced the seven social media secrets of nonprofit digital storytelling to AmeriCorps agencies in Washington, DC. See my presentation below or click here to view it on SlideShare.

Just in case you need more information about the seven social media secrets, I have included my talking points, a how to guide on creating a social media strategy plan that I use with my clients, and several nonprofit resources.

Ananda Leeke at Serve DC Workshop, May 21, 2014

If you would like me to facilitate a workshop or give a talk for your agency, business, community, group, or organization, please contact me on 202.607.3509.

7 Social Media Secrets of Nonprofit Digital Storytelling

Secret #1: Define your social media goals (why does your organization want to use social media to tell stories?)

Secret #2: Know your audience (clients, donors, staff, Board members, funders, interns, volunteers, community and corporate partners, local citizens and organizations with shared interests, businesses, and other local stakeholders).

Secret #3: Know where your audience lives online.

Secret #4: Become your audience’s digital neighbor (maintain an active digital presence on the same social media sties that your audience belongs to).

Secret #5: Know what types of digital stories appeal to your audience.

Secret #6: Develop a plan to tell your digital stories (that includes an editorial calendar, time management tools like HootSuite to help you schedule your social media efforts in advance, any special campaigns/events/advocacy efforts, technology tools needed to create digital stories and use social media, budget and funding for technology tools, identifying staff duties for managing social media and digital storytelling efforts, social media/digital storytelling training for staff, and/or recruitment for interns and volunteers with digital communications and public relations experience).

Secret #7: Evaluate your digital storytelling efforts weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually (document lessons learned and best practices and study what other nonprofit organizations are doing and learn from their efforts).

Creating A Social Media Strategy Plan

When I help an organization create a social media strategy plan, I use a series of questions to guide its development and execution. They are organized into six categories: goals, target audience, content, social media budget and team, social media and technology tools, and evaluating social media efforts. See below.

GOALS

What are your organization’s quarterly and annual goals?
How will social media support the goals (examples: create/curate/distribute content, engagement, network building, and promotion)?
What calls to action, campaigns, events, program initiatives, and services will be used to accomplish the goals?
What is your timeline for accomplishing the goals with social media support?

TARGET AUDIENCE

Who is your target audience for each call to action, campaign, event, product, program initiative, and/or service?
Where does your target audience reside online?

CONTENT

What type of content (articles, blogs, photos, podcasts, social media messaging, surveys, webinars, and videos) appeals to your target audience?
What are the sources of content?
Who will develop the content?
What are the content requirements for your editorial calendar on a daily, weekly, quarterly, and/or annual basis?

SOCIAL MEDIA BUDGET AND TEAM

What is your social media budget?
Who will manage, execute, and support your social media efforts (primary lead person, team members, interns, online community members, and brand/blogger ambassadors)?
What are your social media team’s skills?
What type of resources and training does your social media team need to stay updated on current and emerging social media best practices, tools, and trends?
How much time does your social media team have to commit on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and/or annual basis to the management and execution of social media efforts?

SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY TOOLS

What are the best social media tools to communicate with your target audience?
What type of technology tools (digital/web cameras, laptops, microphones, printers, smartphones, software, tablets, and time management tools) do you have and/or need to manage and execute your social media efforts?

EVALUATING SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS

Who will review your social media efforts (executive officers, social media staff, communications staff, media/public relations staff, development staff, membership staff, information technology staff, and/or online community members)?
What tools will you use to analyze your social media efforts?
How often will you analyze, modify, and review your social media efforts?
What lessons have you learned?
What best practices have you developed?

Nonprofit Resources

Blog

Nonprofit Tech for Good, www.nptechforgood.com

Books

Measuring the Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter and Katie Delahaye Paine
Social Media Engagement for Dummies by Aliza Sherman and Danielle Elliott Smith
Social Media for Social Good by Heather Mansfield
Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits by Melanie Mathos and Chad Norman

Local Conference and Facebook Group

Nonprofit 2.0 Unconference, June 26, 2014 in DC, http://nonprofit20.org
DC Social Media Facebook group (great community to seek advice and obtain resources), www.facebook.com/#!/groups/dcsocialmedia

Pinterest Board

Nonprofit Digital Storytelling Resources Board (created for May 21^st workshop participants), www.pinterest.com/anandaleeke/nonprofit-digital-storytelling-resources/pins/

Audio & Visual Social Media Storytelling Tools

Curated Storytelling: Paper.li (electronic paper – http://paper.li) and Storify (http://storify.org – great for documenting live and online events and campaigns that use photos and videos with hashtags)
Photos: Flickr (www.flickr.com – videos included), Instagram (http://instagram.com), Pinterest (www.pinterest.com), and Tumblr (http://tumblr.com – visual blogging)
Podcasts and Audio Platforms: BlogTalkRadio (www.blogtalkradio.com – Internet radio show), SoundCloud (http://soundcloud.com – audio platform available as mobile app with limited free space), Talkshoe.com (www.talkshoe.com – Internet radio show), and VoiceBo (http://voicebo.com – free mobile app that allows you to record up to five minutes)
Videos: Animoto (www.animoto.com), Vimeo (www.vimeo.com), Vine (http://vine.co), and YouTube (www.youtube.com)

Happy Creativity Thursday: Creativity Conversations, 4/30 DC Event & 5/15 Online Workshop

Posted by Ananda Leekeon April 24, 2014April 24, 2014in Ananda's Events, Creativity, Creativity Coaching, Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

April has been a month filled with creativity conversations. Yesterday, I hosted the DC Digital Sisterhood Network’s Breakfast Meet Up at Teaism, a woman-owned tea house (see photo above). Learn what happened at the meet up by clicking here to listen to the podcast I recorded with Valerie Trammel, founder of Trammel Communications. Valerie was the first person who arrived at the meet up. She won a Digital Sisterhood mug filled with Tazo Passion tea bags and chocolates. She also received a complimentary 20 minute creativity coaching session (which we had today). We had a great time chatting about creativity and overcoming challenges with Nia, founder of Karat Cakery, a DC Dessert Food Truck (makes the best carrot cake in the universe!!!!).

Two weeks ago, I hosted a creativity conversation during the Atlanta Digital Sisterhood Meet Up held at Proof and Provision, a bar and restaurant located in the Georgian Terrace Hotel. Click here to listen to the podcast I recorded with the amazing women who attended the event.

APRIL 30 DC EVENT

If you are in DC on April 30, join me for the DC Digital Sisterhood Meet Up: Sip Tea & Coffee, Eat Dessert & Chat About Creativity from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Mediterranean Spot, 1501 U Street, NW, Washington, DC (located on the corner of 15th and U Streets, two blocks from the U Street/Cardozo Green/Yellow Line Metro). Click here to register for the event on Eventbrite.

Photo Credit: http://blog.ali-comunicazione.com/?cat=3

MAY 15 ONLINE EVENT

Do you know what creativity looks like in your life? Do you need to open your creative heart? Do you know what your creative voice sounds like? Are you able to access it? What is it telling you? Are you ready to give birth to your creativity? Do you need support and tips on how to give birth to your creativity or navigate your creative process?

If you answered YES to one or more of these questions, join me on Thursday, May 15 for the “Giving Birth to Your Creativity” online workshop from 8:30 p.m. EST to 10:00 p.m. EST. The online 90 minute workshop will offer a small group of five participants the following:

Creative Self-Care Practices (breathing exercises, guided meditation, affirmation, and kind and gentle office yoga for your eyes, hands, mouth, and shoulders).
Ice Breaker Exercise and Sharing Circle.
Talk on “Giving Birth to Your Creativity with a Creativity Recipe.”
Journaling Exercises with Sharing Circle and Creativity Coaching Feedback.
Action Planning Steps and Tips for Giving Birth to Your Creativity.
Two creativity coaching email check-ins (one in June and one in July).
A special discount on creativity coaching sessions and packages.

The workshop is based on exercises and information contained in my book, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery (available on Amazon). It will be delivered via conference call. So all you need to participate is your telephone. Once you register and pay $26.26 ($23.95 workshop fee and $2.31 Eventbrite fee) for the workshop, I will email you an agenda with handouts, the special discount on creativity coaching sessions, and the telephone number for the conference call. Click here to register for the workshop.

Happy Creativity Thursday: Sign Up for 4/24 Online Creativity Workshop

Posted by Ananda Leekeon April 17, 2014April 17, 2014in Ananda's Events, Creativity Coaching, Creativity ThursdayLeave a comment

Happy Creativity Thursday!

Do you know what creativity looks like in your life?

Do you need to open your creative heart?

Do you know what your creative voice sounds like? Are you able to access it? What is it telling you?

Are you ready to give birth to your creativity?

Do you need support and tips on how to give birth to your creativity or navigate your creative process?

Photo Credit: http://cormiercreative.com/creativity-is-contagious/

If you answered YES to one or more of these questions, join me on Thursday, April 24 for the “Giving Birth to Your Creativity” online workshop from 8:30 p.m. EST to 10:00 p.m. EST. The online 90 minute workshop will offer a small group of five participants the following:

Creative Self-Care Practices (breathing exercises, guided meditation, affirmation, and kind and gentle office yoga for your eyes, hands, mouth, and shoulders).
Ice Breaker Exercise and Sharing Circle.
Talk on “Giving Birth to Your Creativity with a Creativity Recipe.”
Journaling Exercises with Sharing Circle and Creativity Coaching Feedback.
Action Planning Steps and Tips for Giving Birth to Your Creativity.
Two free creative coaching email check-ins (one in May and one in June).
A special discount on creativity coaching sessions and packages.

The workshop is based on exercises and information contained in my book, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery (available on Amazon). It will be delivered via conference call on FreeConferenceCall.com. So all you need to participate is your telephone. Once you register and pay for the workshop, I will email you an agenda with handouts, the special discount on creativity coaching sessions, and the telephone number for the conference call.

Click here to register and pay the workshop fee of $23.95 on Eventbrite.

PS: The “Giving Birth to Your Creativity” online workshop will be offered again on May 15 and June 19 from 8:30 p.m. EST to 10:00 p.m. EST for $23.95. Stay tune for more details on how to register in the coming weeks.

Happy #FierceLiving Friday: #FierceLiving People & Places (podcast included)

Posted by Ananda Leekeon April 4, 2014April 5, 2014in Ananda's Events, Fierce LivingLeave a comment

Happy #FierceLiving Friday!

Today’s podcast features reflections on the power of #FierceLiving people and places in my life. It also includes two invitations for people living in Atlanta who are available to meet me on:

April 9 for the Digital Sisterhood Meet Up: Cocktails & Conversation on Creativity from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Proof and Provision at the Georgian Terrace Hotel, 659 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, Georgia. Click here to register on Eventbrite.
April 10 for Spelman College’s “Conversation with Ananda Leeke: Fierce Living Online” at 4:00 p.m. at the NASA Auditorium in the Science Center on Spelman’s campus, 350 Spelman Lane, SW, Atlanta, Georgia.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Who are your #FierceLiving people?

What are your #FierceLiving places?

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday: Headed to Atlanta to Speak at Women Interactive on November 9.

Posted by Ananda Leekeon November 5, 2013in Ananda's Events, Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online, Internet Geek TuesdayLeave a comment

Happy Internet Geek Tuesday,

This week, I am headed to Atlanta to speak at the second annual Women Interactive Creative Technology Conference that will be held at Spelman College on November 9. I am giving a tech talk on “Digital Sisters + Digital Citizens = Social Media Leaders.” My talk is rooted in one word: SERVE. It is an acronym that I call my secret ingredient for being an authentic Digital Sister, Digital Citizen, and Social Media Leader. Check it out below.

•S – SEE yourself as a social media leader. If you have at least one person who follows and/or interacts with you through your blog, web site, and/or social media sites, you have a platform of influence. Your influence impacts people in your online network. That makes you a leader. The moment that you see yourself as a social media leader, you begin to own your identity. Once you own your identity as a social media leader, you are faced with some important choices in how you interact online and offline in your relationships.

•E – EMBRACE digital civility practices in your online and offline interactions and relationships. Digital civility includes being respectful of others, especially in the midst of any disagreements. Treat people the way you would like to be treated.

•R – REMEMBER to UNPLUG from your digital life and practice SELF CARE by creating and following a digital wellness plan. Take breaks from your digital life. It will give you an opportunity to recharge and rest.

•V – VISIT and participate in a diverse group of online and offline communities to broaden your knowledge base and network.

•E – EXPRESS generosity in all you think, say, and do. Give back to others. Your generosity creates social capital in your online and offline relationships. Social capital is that warm, fuzzy feeling or positive impression you create about yourself in people’s hearts and minds. It paves the wave for unexpected blessings that manifest as collaborations, invitations to events, learning opportunities, partnerships, relationships with key people in your local/national/international networks, revenue generating streams, speaking engagements, and other forms of blessings.

My new book, Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online discusses my SERVE secret ingredient in great detail. Click here to purchase a copy on Amazon.com.

If you are in Atlanta on November 7, join me for a Digital Sisterhood book reading from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. sponsored by my digital sisters at Everywhere, an amazing social media marketing firm headed by Danica Kombol. Click here to register for the event.

MORE ABOUT WOMEN INTERACTIVE:

Women Interactive is a two-day interactive technology festival for women who produce and share digital content with a special emphasis on women of color. It’s one of my favorite learning opportunities. I attended the festival last year and learned so much. If you are in Atlanta, join me at the event. Click here to register.

You Are Invited to My Digital Sisterhood DC Book Signing on October 19

Posted by Ananda Leekeon September 20, 2013September 23, 2013in Ananda's Events, Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living OnlineLeave a comment

You’re invited to attend an author talk and book signing for my third book, Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online on Saturday, October 19, 2013, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery located at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, 1632 U Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. (three blocks from the Green Line U Street/Cardozo Metro Station). The book will be available for sale ($23.95) during the book signing. Click here to register on Eventbrite.

About the Book

Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke became a pioneer in the digital universe twenty-seven years ago, when she logged in to the LexisNexis research service as a first-year law student at Howard University School of Law. She was immediately smitten with what the World Wide Web could do. Later, while attending the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995, Leeke found herself in an Internet café, where she experienced an interaction that changed her life.

Over time, through interactions and conversations both online and in-person, Leeke developed the concept of “digital sisterhood.” Embracing this revolutionary concept led to a complete career reinvention that finally allowed her to embrace her enormous creative spirit. She found in her digital sisters true “sheroes” and virtual mentors. Her blogging and social media adventures highlight the lessons she learned in the process, the reasons she launched the Digital Sisterhood Network, and the experiences that caused her to adopt what she terms the “fierce living” commitments.

In her memoir, Digital Sisterhood, Leeke details her journey, sharing experiences and insights helped her and her digital sisters use the Internet as a self-discovery tool and identifying leadership archetypes that shaped her role as a social media leader.

11 Things You Can Do Before October 19th Book Reading

If you are in the D.C. area, register yourself and invite five friends to the October 19th book reading.
Share this notice on your social media networks or blog.
Tell ten friends about the book in an email.
Post a blog with an author interview of Ananda Leeke. Send her an email at kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com.
Follow @anandaleeke and @digitalsisterhd on Twitter for book updates.
Participate in #DigitalSisterhood Wednesdays on Twitter by following @digitalsisterhd and tweeting your digital sisters.
Subscribe to Ananda Leeke’s author blog to learn more about her creative journey.
Learn more about the Digital Sisterhood Network.
Check out Ananda Leeke’s books, Love’s Troubadours (novel) and That Which Awakens Me (creative memoir) on Amazon.com. They make great autumn reads!
LIKE Ananda Leeke’s Facebook Fan Page.
LIKE Digital Sisterhood Network’s Facebook Page.

#DigitalSisterhood Wednesday News: Ananda is sharing her creativity coaching gifts with Blogalicious in October!

Posted by Ananda Leekeon August 7, 2013August 7, 2013in Ananda's Events, Ananda's Speaking Events, Blogalicious, Creativity Coaching1 Comment

Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley, www.leighmosley.com and t-shirt created by LaShaun Martin for Shootie Girl, http://shootiegirl.net — Photo Credit: Leigh Mosley, http://www.leighmosley.com and t-shirt created by LaShaun Martin for Shootie Girl, http://shootiegirl.net

Happy Digital Sisterhood Wednesday!

Blogalicious is one of my favorite communities and conferences because it celebrates diversity in the blogosphere. It embodies the spirit of Digital Sisterhood and Digital Brotherhood! I have been a fan since the first conference in 2009 (have attended all four conferences too).

This year, I am excited about celebrating the fifth anniversary of Blogalicious. Why? First, I adore the theme which is “Create. Build. Fund.” Second, Stacey “Justice Fergie” Ferguson, Blogalicious co-founder and chief curator, and her Blogalicious team (Jazzy Jones, Xina Eiland, Thien-Kim Lam, Jana Pauldin, Terence Gaines, and Joe Ferguson) know how to plan and host signature conferences and events that leave me with an abundance of information, inspiration, and Instagram moments filled with deep connection and friendship that remain etched on my heart for years.

Third, I’ll be providing short one-on-one creativity coaching sessions to conference attendees that will help them begin the process of:

Identifying, understanding, and embracing their inner critics, the inner voice that tells them they cannot or don’t have what it takes to create, build, or fund their dreams, ideas, and endeavors.
Confronting and overcoming their fears, doubts, and obstacles that prevent them from creating, building, and funding their dreams, ideas, and endeavors.
Mapping out their goals and timelines.
Developing a strategic plan to accomplish their goals.

Click here to learn more about my creativity coaching practice.

Be sure to check out my Creativity Thursday blogs and Creative Inspiration Pinterest board to see what’s bubbling in my creative world.

For book lovers, my book, That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery (my original artwork is on the cover and featured throughout the book), gives an inside look at my creative journey through artwork, poetry, and reflections. It’s a great summer read (available on Kindle too)!

Hope to see you at Blogalicious!